Middlemarch, New Zealand
Middlemarch a 165 inhabitants small town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand, about 80 km west of Dunedin is located.
Geography
Middlemarch is called in the middle of a broad glacial valley earlier, Strath Taieri. Nestled by the two mountain ranges of the Rock and Pillar Range in the west and the Taieri Ridge to the east, the place is right on the Taieri River. The most important link represents the north- south- running State Highway 87, on which is located the village of Hyde north for about 25 kilometers.
History
There are a few documents that have been used for hunting in the region around the today Middelburg March around before European colonization, Maori their camps. Only in the middle of the 19th century were the first European settlers in the broad marshy valley of the Taieri River to make land arable and operate farm economy. The surveyor and planner Charles Henry Kettle (1821-1862) had laid the basis for this, the first European to set foot, explored and documented in 1847 the valley. It was followed by the gold prospectors who after the Otago Gold Rush (1861-1863) on their passing through and looking for even more gold left their mark along the Rock and Pillar Range. The first settlements were established. The name Middlemarch was probably from the composition of " middle" ( German: middle) and the Old English " march" ( German: Mark (border, Dividing Line ) ). But there's this, also other versions.
It is clear that the origins of Middlemarch on the Welsh Edward Wingfield Humphreys (1845-1892) are due. Humphreys bought 1868 large parts of the marshy land and named his land and residence, as in Wales, Garthmyl. The many workers on his large farm lived together in a settlement, located in 1880 as a community Middlemarch in private ownership, has been documented. Humphreys left Garthmyl 1885, went with his wife to Christ Church, and in 1891 returned to England, where he died the following year. Garthmyl was eventually auctioned on 26 November 1891 in Dunedin several new owners and Middlemarch was from now on a free commune.
With the construction of the railway line Otago Central Railway of Wingatui ( Mosgiel ) near Dunedin to Middlemarch in 1879 the importance of the place was manifested, and guaranteed with the opening in 1891 of the influx of travelers. Four years later, in 1895, kept the statisticians the success of the rule with nearly 2,500 passengers, transported 17,500 sheep and pigs and approximately 17,000 tons of moving goods. The railway line was extended from 1917 until Cromwell and 1921 then officially opened.
After 1980, due to the emergence of the Clyde Dam in passenger traffic was stopped on the section between Clyde and Cromwell, followed on 30 April 1990 due to inefficiency to close the remaining connection.
Middlemarch by then was connected through a century economic and tourist with the railroad. What remained were the cold snowy winter and hot dry summer of Otago high country and the farm economy and livelihood for the remaining people.
Today
After the government in Wellington had decided to close the railway line to Middlemarch, rallied the people of Dunedin NZ $ 1.2 million, so that the city could buy the 64 km distance between Wingatui and Middlemarch.
In 1995, the city of Dunedin and the Otago Excursion Train Trust founded the company Taieri Gorge Railway Limited and operated successfully since then the Taieri Gorge Railway, which was an integral part of the tourist offer of Dunedin and Middlemarch thus raised from insignificance.
The old disused railway line from Middelburg March to Clyde is now often used by cyclists, with Middlemarch represents each starting point and / or end of the tour on the Otago Central Rail Trail. As a tourist attraction today also like to mention the only salt lake in New Zealand, of Sutton Salt Lake, 6 km southeast of Middlemarch near the State Highway 87 is located.
Another attraction of a very special kind of Middlemarch, additionally, has to offer. Every second year at Easter (2005, 2007, 2009, ....), takes place in the Middlemarch Singles Ball. The crowd is large and limits the ticket quota. Supposedly always be represented singles from Germany.
Also worth visiting is still the more than 100 -year-old St John's Presbyterian Church of the town, which was officially opened on 12 May 1895, from where operated pastoral care for the entire Strath Taieri region.
Swell
All sources of information and links in English
- Helen M. Thompson, East of the Rock and Pillar, Otago Centennial Historical Publication, Whitcombe & Tombs Ltd.. , Dunedin, 1949.
- Middlemarch - History & Culture - New Zealand Tourism Board
- Middlemarch History - Strath Taieri Community Board
- Middlemarch - Southern Attractions - Channel 9 Online Television Tourism